


Going Home for Christmas

by magicbubblepipe



Category: Klaus (2019)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Making Love, Mutual Pining, Protective Klaus, Whump, hurt Jesper, the violence isn't really that graphic but just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:29:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicbubblepipe/pseuds/magicbubblepipe
Summary: Jesper gets jumped by Ellingboes on his way to deliver letters to Klaus.Klaus finds the injured postman in the snow and brings him back home for a little TLC and Jesper realizes 'home' doesn't mean the same thing it used to.
Relationships: Jesper Johanssen/Klaus
Comments: 10
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I don't know where all these ideas keep coming from but I'm not complaining. This fandom deserves more fic and I'm happy to share. Comments are much desired and appreciated <3

Jesper closed the post office in the afternoon, as per usual, and loaded up his cart with the day’s new batch of letters. Snow fell in fine flurries as he set off onto the path that would lead him through the mountain pass and ultimately deliver him to Klaus. He let his thoughts begin to wander as his horse plodded along their familiar route, dwelling on all the little worries that plagued him more and more as Christmas drew near. It was a little over a week away now and Jesper was so close to his goal he could practically taste the sherry and caviar. 

And then his thoughts drifted back to Klaus and an icy stab of guilt pierced his heart. The thought of leaving him was almost unthinkable, not after everything they’d been through, not after they’d grown so close. Jesper rubbed his tired eyes as he tried to make some sense out of the riotous emotions twisting in his gut. It had been occurring to him with frightening clarity that the warm ache in his chest he felt every time he looked at his friend was an awful lot like  _ love _ . It was either that or he was coming down with some serious illness—one that caused nervous sweating and heart palpitations and giddy laughter. God, he was screwed. 

The rickety bridge creaked and groaned in a way that Jesper had long since stopped being distressed over—he figured if it was going to collapse, it would have done so by now. Sure enough, they made it to the other side and into the densest part of the forest. The snow was picking up now and Jesper tightened his scarf against the bite of the icy wind. The crack of a twig breaking caught Jesper’s attention. Expecting to see an animal, he looked toward the direction of the sound but saw nothing. Something about that made him uneasy but he pushed the feeling to the back of his mind and snapped the reins to pick up the pace. 

A couple hundred feet further along the path, the horse came to an abrupt stop with a whinny of fear. Through the snow, Jesper could make out a shadowy bulk blocking the path but he couldn’t tell what it was. The horse refused to go forward so Jesper got down with a sigh, sinking into the snow up to his knees as he started trudging toward the mysterious lump. He was almost upon it when it sat up and revealed itself to be not an it but a  _ she _ . By the time Jesper realized it was Pumpkin Ellingboe, he was being impacted heavily from the right.

Jesper hit the snow, ears ringing with the whoops and cries of his attackers as they joyfully pummelled him. There were at least five clan members in the ambush and one of them unharnessed Jesper’s horse and slapped her hind end. She reared with a neigh of terror and took off down the path despite Jesper calling after her. He fought back, deflecting as many punches and kicks as he possibly could but a particularly hard blow to the gut knocked the air out of him and he doubled over, paralyzed with pain. One more solid punch to the face and they decided he’d had enough. 

Jesper heard them retreating, his vision swimming with black dots. One thought kept him conscious and he crawled toward his sled with tunneling vision, groping desperately for the bag of letters. He groaned, finding the sack open and mostly empty, letters having been scattered to the wind by one of the clansmen while Jesper was busy being beaten senseless.

“No, no, no,” Jesper found himself chanting as he staggered to his feet, casting his eyes around for the letters but they were indistinguishable from the now heavily falling snow. 

He was losing strength fast, legs wobbling as he dropped back to his knees. He saw the blood dripping onto the snow; whether it was from his nose or mouth, he wasn’t sure. He distantly hoped he wasn’t missing any teeth and that’s the last clear thought he had before he toppled forward and passed out. 

Klaus stepped out of the bustling warmth of the workshop to grab some more wood. With the Sámi people now taking on the brunt of the toy-making, he was going through more logs than ever. He was taking in the radiance of the setting sun when a noise came to his attention. Out of the woods, a horse came barrelling into the clearing—not just any horse.  _ Jesper’s  _ horse. Her eyes were wild with fear and Klaus’s heart seemed to fall to his boots before leaping back to his throat and lodging there. 

He hurried over to calm the spooked mare but every time he drew close, she’d step away, jerking her head back toward the path and snorting impatiently. 

“You’re leading me to him, aren’t you,” Klaus realized, following her into the woods. 

Just as he thought, she led him through the trees and falling curtains of snow, until Klaus spotted the familiar shape of Jesper’s mail sleigh, steadily being buried under the fresh powder. The horse bowed her head to the ground and began to search, nostrils flaring as she scented the air for her master. 

“Jesper!” Klaus called, loud in the silence of the falling snow. 

No answer. He combed the area, making out what looked like a huge struggle in the middle of the path, though the evidence was swiftly being hidden. Klaus bent and dug around in the snow, his heart lurching when he encountered bright spots of blood he prayed wasn’t Jesper’s.

The horse whickered at him and Klaus looked up to see her pawing the ground, uncovering a flash of blue that sent Klaus running over, fear like an icy stone in his stomach as he took over the task of digging. The blue was the end of Jesper’s scarf and Klaus followed it to the rest of him, where he was already buried beneath a thin blanket of snow. Klaus sloughed it off of him, brushing it gently from his bruised face, wincing at all the red staining the white. 

“Jesper,” Klaus called again, sticking his fingers beneath the collar of his uniform to search out his pulse. To his profound relief, it was still there but it seemed weak. Jesper remained unconscious, his lips and nose gone blue with cold. 

Klaus gathered Jesper into his arms, tucking him under his coat as he made for the sleigh. The horse was already standing at attention, waiting patiently as Klaus hooked her harness back onto the cart. Klaus used one big hand to brush all the snow off the seat and sat down, still holding Jesper’s smaller frame gently against his chest. 

“It’s okay,” Klaus whispered, just in case Jesper could hear him. “You’re going to be okay.” 

When they reached the clearing, the Sámi were packing up and preparing to head home for the night. Márgu caught sight of the mail cart and gave an elated cry, running out to greet the postman as she had every other day. She stopped short when she couldn’t see him, however, and Klaus didn’t want her to. He kept Jesper bundled up under his coat and held out a staying hand toward the child.

“Please,” Klaus, called to Márgu’s mother who could already tell something was wrong, “Take her away. Jesper’s hurt.” 

She seemed to understand immediately, concern pinching her soft features as she scooped Márgu into her arms and hurried her back to the workshop. 

“Jesper!” Márgu called over her mother’s shoulder, reaching out her mittened hands as she started to cry. 

One of the Sámi men came over and took the reins of Jesper’s horse, nodding to Klaus that he would take over. 

“Thank you, my friend,” Klaus said, clapping the man’s back in passing as he hustled off toward the main house with an unconscious postman huddled against his chest.

Klaus shucked off his coat and laid it in front of the hearth before lying Jesper down on top of it. Slender fingers had tangled themselves in Klaus’s beard, and he had to gently pry Jesper’s hands away through the smaller man’s mumbled protests.

“Sorry, sorry,” Klaus said, as Jesper pulled a frown and curled in on himself, “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

It was a good sign that Jesper was starting to come around but he was still dangerously close to hypothermia and Klaus needed to get him out of his soaked clothing. First, he went to his bedroom and grabbed the thick fur blanket off the foot of his bed and brought it back to the living room, along with his wash basin and a clean towel.

It felt odd to just undress Jesper while he was out of it but he didn’t see any other choice. Apologizing to his friend for this breach of personal boundaries, Klaus went to work removing Jesper’s boots and uniform. As more skin was revealed, Klaus started to see the extent of the damage—Jesper was covered in bruises, the violent reds and purples stood out against the paleness of his skin. His lip was split and blood had run down his chin and stained his shirt; Klaus removed it and tossed it away, exposing his battered ribcage— it looked to Klaus that he might have even fractured some ribs. His arms were covered with defensive bruises and scrapes from where he’d tried to protect himself.

Jesper’s right eye was blacked but thanks to the snow, it hadn’t swelled shut. The bruise covered his whole cheekbone and temple and Klaus could imagine all too easily a situation where this impact could have proven fatal. He swallowed past the sick feeling in his gut at the thought that Jesper might not ever wake up—he’d heard stories about concussions but wasn’t sure how much of it was true. He was taken right back to those final days before Lydia passed. She’d fallen into a deep sleep after a long battle with illness and eventually, she’d just slipped away. 

That same helpless feeling returned and Klaus struggled to calm himself, large hands shaking as he finished undressing Jesper. He swiped away the hot tears blurring his vision and removed his own belt and shirt. He could pack this emotional breakdown away for later—Jesper needed him now. With the basin and towel, he gently cleaned all the blood from his face and neck, relieved to see the flush returning to Jesper’s skin. Salve and bandages would come later but for now, warming him up was most important.

Klaus laid down behind him, bringing the fur blanket up over them both. He wrapped his arms around Jesper’s narrow frame and cuddled the other man tightly to his chest. Jesper’s hands and feet were freezing points of contact against Klaus’s much warmer body, as was the tip of his nose when he felt the little postman burrow into his beard. Klaus smiled and kissed the crown of Jesper’s head, taking this chance to show just a fraction of the affection he felt for him. Klaus stroked his back and scratched through his fluffy blond hair, encouraging his circulation and relishing in the feel of his steadily warming skin. 

He’d long since given up the inner struggle over his feelings for Jesper; Klaus was old enough to understand what it meant when his heart skipped a beat at Jesper’s smile, and how the man had come to occupy all his thoughts and his plans for the future. The last time he’d felt something like this, he’d been courting Lydia and planning to propose. 

He’d known it for sure that day they brought Márgu her sleigh. The spark that had been kindling within him toward Jesper roared into a full blaze as he watched the other man beside him in the snow, his face the picture of joy and fondness as he watched the little girl enjoy her gift. The way Jesper couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards only further cemented the feeling, melting the remaining ice that had come to surround Klaus’s heart over the past several years. With perfect clarity, he realized he was in love—hopelessly smitten, in fact—with Jesper Johanssen, the quirky little mailman who broke into Klaus’s workshop and then into the rest of his life. 

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset about it. Even if Jesper never returned his feelings, Klaus was content to love him from afar—the sheer fact that Klaus found it within himself to love again after he thought it utterly impossible, was astonishing enough. Jesper was his miracle, his saving grace, his new constant. To expect his love reciprocated was getting a little greedy. Besides, Jesper was young and probably wanted to start a family of his own, and he deserved that much. 

The first thing Jesper became aware of was the lack of cold—in fact, his whole body felt warm. Briefly, he wondered if he was finally dead but as he tried to move, he was greeted with searing pain in every part of his body. His head was the worst of all. He could feel his pulse behind his eyes, radiating all the way down to his jaw. He groaned softly and felt the warm mass he was snuggled into start to move. 

The world snapped sharply back into focus when he realized whose arms were wrapped around him, whose big hand was sliding up the length of his—naked—spine. Klaus was holding him. It seemed like a dream but the pounding ache in his head was very real, as was the stabbing pain in his chest and lungs with every inhale. 

“Jesper?” Klaus whispered from somewhere just above his head.

He hummed weakly in response, and pulled back just enough to open his eyes and squint blearily up at Klaus. He swam into focus though Jesper’s right eye struggled to stay open and hurt like hell. A soft smile greeted him, the older man’s brows knitted with concern as he gazed down at Jesper. Klaus was breathtaking, his hair loose and haloed by golden firelight, those same flames dancing within the blue depths of his eyes that watched him with such affection and worry.

“Good to see you again,” Klaus said and Jesper could feel the rumble of his words against his own chest. “You had me worried there.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easy.” Jesper tried to smile and flinched when his torn lip started to bleed again. 

Klaus made a tsking sound and sat up to grab a damp towel he had stashed nearby. He used it to delicately dab up the blood in such a tender display, Jesper felt like he could cry. 

“What happened to you? Can you remember?”

Jesper scrunched his face in thought, his memories feeling foggy and jumbled. He remembered his horse getting scared of something in the road, so Jesper got out to see and…

“Ellingboes,” Jesper said with a groan. “They ambushed me and then…” A sick realization dawned on him and he jolted upright, jostling his head horribly in the process but it didn’t matter because

“Letters! We have to go back for the letters,” Jesper insisted, “They ripped open the bag and the letters went flying, I have to go back—”

Klaus gripped him gently and pushed him back down onto his back, “Easy, hold on. You’re not going anywhere.” 

Jesper whimpered and tried to twist out of Klaus’s grip but all of his muscles were trembling and weak. He had to get the letters, that was his one job and he’d managed to screw it up. 

“It’s not the end of the world, Jesper,” Klaus calmly said, “I’m sure you can convince the kids to write more letters.”

He was right, obviously, but that didn’t do much to ease the sense of failure that Jesper was left with. He let out a sigh of defeat and closed his eyes again—his head hurt too much to think about it anymore.

“Let me go grab some witch hazel from the kitchen and I’ll get you patched up,” Klaus said, leaving him no time for argument. 

Jesper peeked long enough to see Klaus’s strong bare back before he pulled his shirt back on over his head and stood up—much to Jesper’s disappointment. Even in this state, his heart fluttered stupidly as he waited for the other man to return, listening for his surprisingly light footsteps as they reapproached the hearth.

Klaus knelt back down with his tinctures and strips of linen to bind the worst of the injuries. Jesper found that he was more nervous about his own reaction to being touched by Klaus than the prospect of any pain that touch might cause. He started on Jesper’s face, applying some cooling salve to his lips with a gentle thumb, as well as to the abrasions on his cheekbone.

“Can I, uh,” Klaus cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing, “Can I uncover you?” 

Jesper blinked at him and found himself nodding minutely. His heart was hammering as Klaus pulled back the edge of the blanket, revealing his torso down to the hips. He chanced a look down at his own body and grimaced. He was covered with mottled bruises, new and old, and god, had he really lost that much weight since moving to Smeerensburg? 

Unbeknownst to Jesper, Klaus’s view of him was drastically different. Klaus swallowed hard, trying not to let his eyes settle in any one place for too long. But it was difficult; Jesper was even lovelier than he anticipated, bruises and all. He felt thin-boned and fragile under Klaus’s touch as he carefully prodded his ribcage. Jesper hissed with pain but Klaus was pleased to find nothing broken. 

“No broken ribs,” Klaus announced and Jesper gave a scoff. 

“ _ Yay _ , I guess,” Jesper mumbled through gritted teeth. “They don’t feel very not-broken.” 

“You’ll live,” Klaus replied, and it felt absurdly good to say that. Jesper would be sore for a while but he was going to be fine. 

Klaus was looking at a particularly nasty contusion on Jesper’s collarbone and that got him noticing that Jesper was covered sparingly with freckles and beauty marks, mostly on his chest and shoulders. And if his eyes took a lengthy pause to admire his small pink nipples, well, he was only human after all. He pulled Jesper’s arms away from his torso, where they’d folded over his belly in a bashful way. Turning them over gently, he inspected the delicate bird-bones of his wrists and made sure they were intact, then moved on to treating the scrapes along his forearms.

Jesper watched him with the eye that didn’t hurt as much as Klaus wrapped a strip of cloth around the gouge caused by someone’s boot heel—that one really smarted. But all of him hurt so much at this point, it was hard to distinguish one pain from another. Large, competent hands tended every mark on his arms and then carefully laid them back at his sides.

He gasped when one of those hands landed squarely in the middle of his abdomen, the touch light but hot, scorching his skin like a brand. Jesper bit his lips so as not to make any more embarrassing sounds when he looked down and saw Klaus’s hand spanning the width of his torso. He was gently examining the large bruise across his belly where he’d taken the full brunt of someone’s kick. 

“Does that hurt?” Klaus asked.

“Yeah, but not so bad. This isn’t even the worst I’ve been beaten since I moved here.” 

Despite Jesper’s joking tone, Klaus still looked deeply concerned. The emotion in his eyes was intense—something akin to horror, anger, and sadness. Jesper was surprised and moved by the depth of his friend’s sympathy, and to be honest, the idea of Klaus being angry on his behalf was somehow very appealing to his baser instincts. He tried not to focus on that so much or he’d make an even bigger fool of himself tonight. 

“What, you’re surprised? Seems like hating me is the only thing the clans can agree on,” Jesper deflected with a humorless laugh.

Klaus used to watch the postman get maimed nightly without batting an eye and he wasn’t sure at what point it started to bother him. Getting chased by dogs and farm animals and the occasional shotgun blast while delivering gifts was one thing—Klaus made sure he was always within reach if Jesper should get seriously hurt; it was the main reason he insisted on accompanying him every night. Watching him nearly die multiple times the first night they met convinced Klaus of his need to keep a watchful eye on Jesper. Clearly he was a magnet for danger.

“I’m sorry,” Klaus blurted out, catching Jesper by surprise.

“Huh? For what?”

“You don’t deserve that,” Klaus explained, feeling heat crawl up his neck and burn his ears. “I know you probably don’t believe it but, you’re a good person, Jesper. And you don’t deserve the way people treat you.”

Jesper looked up at him, big dark eyes having gone glassy as Klaus spoke. Now the tears started to spill over and Klaus caught the sight of his trembling chin before he covered his face with his hands and curled up on his side. Klaus stared down in shock— that wasn’t the kind of response he’d anticipated. Maybe Jesper hit his head harder than he thought. Nervously fluttering his hands around the smaller man, Klaus finally settled one palm on Jesper’s heaving side, which only seemed to make him cry harder.

He tried to soothe him, and to apologize for whatever he said that set this off. Jesper hiccuped through his tears and reached out with one hand, latching his fingers in Klaus’s shirt—not pulling or pushing, but holding.

“Please,” he managed, voice cracking and clogged with emotion, “Please stop apologizing. I’m not worthy of it. I don’t deserve it, or _ this _ ; I don’t deserve  _ you _ .” 

“What on earth are you talking about?” Klaus asked in bewilderment. 

Jesper resumed sobbing and seemed disinclined to answer any more questions about his critically low self esteem. Whatever it was Jesper had done, it couldn’t be as bad as he was making it out to be. Klaus knew him well enough at this point to know Jesper had a good heart. He was also relatively certain that there wasn’t much Jesper could do that would cause his feelings for the man to change. 

“You don’t have to talk about it anymore tonight if you don’t want to,” Klaus assured him, pulling the blanket back around Jesper’s trembling shoulders. “You don’t have to talk about it ever.” 

His sobs were starting to die down and gradually eased into quiet sniffling. Exhaustion was clearly winning out over whatever had started his crying spell. Klaus took a clean piece of cloth and dipped it into the pitcher of water he brought from his room, wringing out the excess before gently pulling Jesper’s hands away from his face. His heart twinged at the sight of his red, puffy eyes, face flushed-hot and streaked with tears. Klaus used the cool, damp cloth to clean him up and Jesper made a soft hum of appreciation, a sad little smile curling his lips.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, dropping a clumsy hand atop Klaus's and squeezing.

“No need to thank me,” Klaus replied, though he felt warm and tingly from it nonetheless. 

He turned his hand over and caught Jesper’s, holding it palm to palm. Klaus marvelled at the slim, small hand in his own—and felt a fierce need to protect, to make sure something like this never happened to him again.

_ But you can’t be with him all the time. What if he just moved in here with me? Why would he do that? He has a job to do, remember? The world doesn’t revolve around what you’re comfortable with.  _

Klaus’s inner scolding was interrupted by a quiet snore. His eyes leapt up to Jesper’s face and found him soundly asleep, chest rising and falling evenly. Klaus wasn’t very tired himself but he was more than content to stand guard and hold Jesper’s hand for as long as he was allowed. 

***

Dawn broke over Smeerensburg on Christmas morning to the gleeful cries of children discovering their handiwork. Klaus and Jesper watched from their vantage point on a ridge overlooking the town proper. The reindeer were let off the harness to graze and rest as the two men sat in peaceful repose, next to the sleigh that bore both of their names.

Klaus glanced over at his friend and found him as he so often was, surrounded by a golden glow. The sun was captured in the strands of his blond hair and in flecks of amber in his brown eyes—it softened his features and concealed the healing bruise on his cheek in cool shadow. Klaus reminded himself to breathe when Jesper turned and caught him staring. His expression melted into that lopsided grin Klaus had come to adore.

“What?” 

“Oh nothing,” Klaus said, “Just noticing that your bruise is fading quickly.” 

Jesper’s smile faltered and he touched his cheek absently, “Oh. Uh, Yeah. What can I say? I come from a family of fast healers.” He shrugged and turned his gaze back to the town below.

“I think I know what it was you couldn’t tell me that night,” Klaus said, keeping his tone light so Jesper wouldn’t think he was still upset with him.

“Hah,” Jesper gave a bitter smile, “Do you, now?”

“Might it have had something to do with the fact that you were just using us all to get your letters, and get back to your plush apartment and personal butler?” 

Jesper flinched and avoided his gaze, hands curling into fists by his sides in the snow. “Yeah, and meanwhile the kindest man I’ve ever met is extolling my virtues and tending my wounds. I felt like I was going to be sick. Probably would have if I hadn’t passed out first.” 

Klaus had only meant to tease him, not ruin his mood. He wished he’d just kept it to himself. He put a hand on Jesper’s shoulder and waited until the smaller man met his eyes before he spoke.

“It’s alright, Jesper. I know that’s how things started but things change. People change. We’re both proof of that,” he huffed in amusement, “If someone had told me a year ago that I’d become a local legend and rededicate my life to making toys for children and delivering them in the night with a postman for a partner, I’d have laughed in their face.”

That got a chuckle out of Jesper. “I know what you mean. If you’d told me that I’d actually choose to give up my wealth and luxury to stay a mailman in a frigid little town full of crazy people...,” he trailed off and shook his head, imagining the way the old Jesper would have balked at such a notion. 

He wasn’t sure what had loosened his lips but suddenly Jesper was saying something he’d only ever thought to himself. “You know, that day I was attacked, I had already been agonizing over how I could ever leave you. And then you had to go and save my life and make things a hundred times worse.” 

There was a beat of silence and Jesper looked up, worried he’d said too much. His mind was working in overdrive, trying to backpedal, but thankfully Klaus beat him to it.

“In that case, I’m doubly thankful I managed to find you.” His large blue eyes bore into Jesper’s and it filled his stomach with butterflies and tingled warmly in his cheeks.

Jesper ached from the sincerity in his friend’s voice. He could be forgiven a thousand times and still feel unworthy of such an amazing man.

“Me too,” he finally said and they lapsed into a comfortable silence to enjoy the rest of Christmas morning. 

After most of the excitement died down, Klaus and Jesper rounded up the team and reattached them to the sleigh, ready to start the long journey back to the cabin. Since the post office was closed Christmas Day, Jesper had nowhere to be in a hurry and he was sure there would be some kind of meal and celebration ready for them upon their return. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see everyone else but something was making Jesper drag his feet, to prolong the amount of time he and Klaus would be alone.

Before he took his place on the sleigh, Jesper paused to admire the carvings once again. That bubbling feeling he got the first time he saw them returned, filling up his chest until he felt like it would crack straight down the middle. His eyes stung as he reached out a finger to trace the shape of his name. J-E-S-P-E-R. Right next to Klaus’s, like it belonged there. Like  _ he _ belonged. Klaus & Jesper. Permanent. Forever and Always. 

He felt Klaus come up behind him just before warm hands covered his shoulders. Jesper swallowed past the emotion constricting his throat, grappling for the right words to convey the breadth of feeling within him. At the end of the day, there were really only three that could do the job. Jesper covered one of Klaus’s hands with his own as he turned in his embrace. Klaus’s eyes widened when Jesper held his gaze and didn’t let go.

“I love you, Klaus.”

It was barely above a whisper but plenty loud enough to breach the space between them. He heard Klaus’s breath catch and he blinked down at Jesper like he was some kind of marvel. Those big hands came up to Jesper’s face, gently cupping his jaw, thumbs brushing along the crests of his cheekbones. He turned into the touch and, in a spark of boldness, kissed the center of one broad, calloused palm. 

“Jesper,” Klaus started, voice rough and eyes growing wet. His rational mind urged him to repeat all the things he’d been telling himself; that Jesper was too young and that Klaus was too old and what if Jesper decided he wanted a family—but instead of all that, he said:

“I love you too.” 

Jesper broke into a radiant smile that Klaus felt himself returning without hesitation.

“You do?”

Klaus laughed warmly, “Of course I do.”

Jesper jumped straight up and threw his arms around Klaus’s neck. The other man caught him easily, using his momentum to swing Jesper around in a circle. The postman let out a peal of laughter and his hat went flying off into the snow. He hardly noticed because Klaus was kissing him, kissing the breath right out of his lungs, and Jesper could only cling to him and kiss him back, fingers eagerly threading into silken white hair he’d been longing to touch. 

Klaus’s hands grabbed him by the dip of his waist and gently sat him down on the bow of the sleigh. Jesper immediately opened his legs and made space for Klaus to crowd in between them, never breaking the kiss as he pulled the larger man down on top of him. Despite the cold, Jesper’s skin was sparkling with heat, burning paths left behind in the wake of Klaus’s hands as they roamed over his form, drinking in every detail. 

Klaus kissed a trail down to his neck and latched on behind the bolt of his jaw, sucking a love mark there right above his collar. Jesper clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the throaty moan that escaped him, surprised by the force of his own reaction. 

“Unless you want me to get publicly indecent, I suggest we pick this up when we get back home,” Jesper said with no small amount of reluctance.

Klaus leaned back enough to look him in the eyes with a soft smile, “You called it ‘home’.”

Jesper sat up and blinked. “Huh.” He wasn’t sure at what point “home” had stopped meaning his life back in Denmark and started meaning a remote cabin and the beautiful woodsman who lived there, but he found he wasn’t bothered by the change in the slightest. In fact, he felt lighter than air. 

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, feeling his face stretch into a dopey grin. “Let’s go home.”

Klaus dove in and kissed him fiercely, pouring into it every ounce of ecstatic happiness and love he could. It left Jesper dazed, speechless and beyond excited about the future kisses that one had promised. 

They breathed together as Klaus pressed his forehead to Jesper’s and echoed, “Let’s go home.” 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write a little smutty follow up because why not? Hope you enjoy <3

As Jesper had predicted, there was a celebration waiting for them, with hot drinks and a variety of Christmas cakes and a few Sámi dishes he didn’t recognize but enjoyed nonetheless. The children were busy playing with their new toys, laughing and chattering in their native tongue. Eventually Márgu broke away from her little friends and wandered over to Jesper, tugging on his pants leg until he got the message and picked her up. 

Klaus was sitting next to them and Jesper felt himself melting into his side, letting his solid warmth and the weight of the girl on his lap lull him into a doze. Apparently Márgu felt equally relaxed because she settled in against Jesper’s chest and fell asleep in moments. Klaus felt Jesper’s body go lax against him and tore his gaze away from the dancing fire to see the postman fully asleep, slumped against him with a child in his arms. It’s all he’d ever wanted given to him in a way he never could have expected.

His throat went tight and he blinked back the burn in his eyes as he wrapped his arm gently behind Jesper, coaxing him into a more comfortable position. Jesper rested his cheek on the white cushion of Klaus’s beard where it spread out over his chest and belly, his breathing deep and slow. Glancing up again, Klaus caught Alva watching them from across the room, smiling softly over her cup of cider. He felt his cheeks warm up at the understanding in her eyes and he looked back down at the blond head of hair right under his nose. He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face if he tried.

When it came time for the Sámi to head back home, both Márgu and Jesper were rudely awoken from their naps and Klaus wasn’t sure which one was grumpier about it. At least until Jesper transferred the girl over to her father’s waiting arms and she promptly passed back out with the careless abandon only a child can manage. 

Alva was leaving with them—she’d become friends with a Sámi woman who’d offered to give her a ride back into town. But first, she gestured for Jesper to follow her away from the others for a private word.

Curiosity piqued, Jesper went with her into the empty kitchen. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I just wanted to go somewhere private to give you this,” Alva said, procuring a small wrapped package from a pocket in her skirts. 

“Really?” Jesper asked, already tearing into the paper, “Why?” 

“Because of the look on your face once I tell you what it is.”

It looked fairly innocuous to Jesper; a small glass bottle stoppered with a cork. It had some kind of yellow-ish oil inside and seemed medicinal.

“Okay, I give. What is it?”

“Lubricant.” 

Jesper dropped the bottle and just barely caught it before it could hit the ground. 

“What!” he squawked, his face burning. 

“It’s mostly olive oil but with a little clove oil mixed in. It’s good for relaxing your muscles when—” she started making a lewd gesture with her hand but Jesper cut her off.

“Okay, enough, please, thank you.” 

“I’m just saying,” she plowed on, ignoring his flailing, “I see the size of that guy and the way you two have been looking at each other...I know you’re  _ gonna _ if you haven’t already and I just want to make sure you don’t hurt yourself.” 

Jesper was surprised he didn’t have steam rising off of his face from the force of his embarrassment. He tucked the bottle away in his pocket as if it was something illegal and rubbed his eyes as he searched for a response.

“I. Okay, well. There’s a lot to unpack here but thank you? I guess? I mean, I’m not a virgin or anything but I appreciate your—weirdly sweet—concern for my ass. It is one of my best features.” 

Alva rolled her eyes and shoved him in the shoulder on her way out of the kitchen. “I can be sweet sometimes. It passes fast, though. Merry Christmas, jackass.”

“And there it goes,” Jesper laughed. 

When the door was closed after Alva and her friend, Jesper and Klaus found themselves acutely aware of how very ‘alone together’ they were. That damn bottle was burning a hole in his pocket and Jesper swallowed the ball of nerves suddenly lodged in his throat as he wondered where to go from here. Could he just—touch him now? Like, whenever? Wherever? God, he could kiss Klaus right now if he wanted. The possibilities were overwhelming.

“Jesper?” 

Klaus was looking at him with a question in his eyes and Jesper realized he’d been asked something. 

“Oh my god, I’m sorry. I just totally spaced out there. Could you repeat that?” 

“I asked what you were holding onto so tightly.” Klaus said with a quizzical smile.

Jesper looked down and realized he’d been fidgeting with the bottle this whole time, thus sabotaging his own desire to keep it secret. Classic. Might as well fess up. He opened his mouth to explain when a spark of inspiration emboldened him to try a bit of seduction instead.

“I could tell you what it is,” Jesper said, patting the shape of the bottle through his coat pocket; and then, dropping his voice into a purr, “or you could spread out a blanket by the fire and I can show you.” 

The effect was immediate. Klaus’s eyes widened, the pupils nearly eclipsing the glacial blue as he stared down at the smaller man with unrestrained hunger. He swooped down and cupped the back of Jesper’s head, pulling him into a searing kiss that was over as soon as it started because Klaus was on the move, doing exactly as Jesper had suggested. He went around gathering up all the pelts and blankets he could find, piling them into a comfortable nest right in front of the hearth.

His haste to comply was as charming as it was arousing and Jesper marveled at the amount of influence he had over this veritable mountain of a man. Watching Klaus stoke the fire back into a crackling blaze, Jesper pulled off his boots and undid the belt around his waist. When Klaus stood and brushed off his hands on his pants, he noticed the postman getting progressively nude and fumbled to do the same while his eyes were glued to every inch of skin Jesper revealed.

The suspenders slipped from Jesper’s shoulders one at a time—he found himself moving slower now that Klaus was watching. He smirked, knowing he was being a dreadful tease as he pulled his shirt off over his head and shook his blond locks back into place. Klaus’s eyes darted all over his frame, bringing a hot blush to Jesper’s skin that spread all the way down his chest. The large hands twitched at the woodsman’s sides as if he couldn’t decide what he wanted to touch most. Instead, he whipped his own shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. 

Jesper drank in the sight of his broad, solid form and the snowy hair now in disarray where it fell over his shoulders and across his muscular chest. He licked his lips as his gaze dropped to the prominent bulge in Klaus’s pants, his own fingers fumbling with the buttons on his trousers, eagerly stepping out of them and leaving him naked but for his long woolen underwear that stopped just below his knees. He stood there for a moment, feeling suddenly less confident now that he was so exposed.

Klaus noticed him pulling in on himself and quickly stepped into action, hands falling on the sharp curves of Jesper’s bare shoulders as he waited for the smaller man to meet his gaze. Warm brown eyes found his own and Jesper offered him an uncharacteristically shy smile as Klaus’s hands slid up to cup his face, thumbs caressing the rosie tint of his cheeks.

“You’re beautiful, Jesper.” 

His breath caught in his chest as he blinked up at Klaus. No one had ever called him that before and it was doing troubling things to his heartbeat, not to mention the twisting, swooping feeling in his stomach. He wasn’t sure who moved first but the next thing he knew, he was kissing Klaus hard, wrapped up in strong arms and lifted clear off his feet. 

It was easy for Klaus to maneuver him onto his back on the dense pile of blankets without breaking the kiss. Jesper’s fingers curled into his hair and he eagerly opened his mouth to the first sweep of Klaus’s tongue against his lower lip. Klaus took advantage of the invitation and plunged inside, tasting every whimper and groan that escaped the smaller man as their tongues slid together and his hands roved over the expanse of Jesper’s torso, feeling the too-defined ribcage and the soft give of his hips, the dip of his belly where it trembled under his touch. 

He kissed his way down the postman’s graceful neck, humming with satisfaction at the moans vibrating against his lips. Jesper had his head tossed back to give Klaus as much room as possible to lavish attention over his collarbones and throat. Jesper’s legs came up to squeeze Klaus on either side as he sucked a nipple into his mouth and he felt the unmistakable shape of Jesper’s arousal digging into his chest as he rolled the tender bud between his teeth.

Jesper’s head was swimming, his entire body quaking with pleasure as Klaus pinned him down and attacked his pectorals. Even his beard left trails of fire where it caressed his naked belly and tickled his abused nipples. His nails bit into Klaus’s shoulders as he felt the man start to kiss a hot line down to his belly button, right where the waist of his underwear sat. Jesper’s cock throbbed visibly and Klaus gave it a gentle kiss on the wet spot over the head. He made a sound that was certainly not a yelp, hips jumping toward the heat of the other man’s mouth.

Klaus chuckled and Jesper felt the deep rumble of it all through his body. He pulled back long enough to admire his work. Jesper was a vision; hair in disarray, bathed in firelight and glowing with flushed arousal, narrow chest heaving, nipples still hot pink and swollen from his mouth. When Jesper opened his eyes, Klaus was floored from the amount of love and desire he saw there.

The smile on the postman’s lips was seductive but achingly tender when he said, “I want you to take me.”

A complicated mix of emotions passed over Klaus’s face before he buried it in Jesper’s lap and groaned— hot breath and vibrations just an inch or so from Jesper’s trapped erection. He flinched and gasped, hands clutching Klaus’s shoulders tight as the man mumbled something inaudible into the crease of his thigh.

“What was that?” 

Klaus lifted his head enough to speak and Jesper could see the redness in his cheeks. “I said, you’re trying to kill me, Jesper.”

Jesper let a joyful laugh escape him, hand rising up to stroke through the other man’s hair, tucking loose strands behind one flushed pink ear. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied.

Klaus locked eyes with him, biting his lower lip as he tried to figure out how to say what he needed to say. “I want to, believe me, but I don’t think I have anything we can, you know...use? Do you?”

His bashfulness made Jesper’s heart flutter and he couldn’t help but smile at the huge, adorable man on top of him.

“Check my coat.” 

Klaus raised his eyebrows, “So that’s what you were hiding in there. Wait. How did—”

“Alva,” Jesper replied, feeling his face burn as he averted his gaze.

Klaus started laughing, remembering the look of understanding they’d shared during Jesper’s nap. That distinctive belly laugh coaxed Jesper into laughing too and the awkwardness melted away. Klaus wiped a tear from his eye and placed one last kiss on his stomach before rising to fetch the bottle from Jesper’s coat pocket.

He rolled the bottle in his large palms, warming it up as he made his way back to Jesper, who was already unbuttoning his underwear. Klaus watched as the smaller man lifted his hips and pushed his pants down his legs. Klaus jumped in to help, eagerly pulling them all the way off and tossing them out of the way. Jesper giggled, covering his face as Klaus parted his legs wide and settled between them, leaving him utterly exposed. 

Klaus let out a quiet sound between a sigh and a moan as he took in the artful spread of Jesper’s delightfully soft thighs and the bobbing length of his blushing cock nestled between them. He put one hand over Jesper’s groin, cupping his prick and gently lifting his balls to reveal the twitching pink hole beneath. Jesper cried out, rocking into Klaus’s hot grasp and leaking heavily into his palm. Klaus took the hint and stroked him as the thumb of his other hand teased the tight furl of his entrance.

Jesper gasped and arched his back, finally peeking out from under his arm to see Klaus’s massive hands on his naked body. The sight alone was almost enough to make him come and he slammed his eyes shut again when he heard the popping of the cork. He expected to hear the slick sounds of Klaus oiling his fingers but instead there was a beat of silence. 

“Jesper,” a hand cupped his knee, “Look at me.”

He couldn’t resist that deep imploring tone. Jesper gathered his resolve and lowered his hands to his sides. He opened his eyes and met Klaus’s concerned gaze where he sat poised with the bottle in his hand.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Jesper chuckled and raked a hand back through his own hair, embarrassed about what he was going to have to admit. “I’m fine, it’s just…” a shaky inhale, and then all in a rush: “I’m really, really hard and if I actually watch you finger me, I’m gonna come.”

Klaus huffed out a laugh, looking relieved and turned-on in equal measure. “Is that it?”

Jesper nodded, his cock twitching pointedly in Klaus’s hand. Klaus released him and set down the bottle before he swooped in to devour his mouth. Jesper’s needy whine was muffled between them as he greedily returned the heated kiss, lightheaded and breathless when Klaus finally pulled away. The bigger man hovered over him, hair and beard hanging down in a cascade all around his flushed face. His eyes were dark with promise when he spoke.

“Don’t worry about that,” his thick mustache quirked up into a dangerously alluring smirk, “I’m sure I can make you come again.”

The postman felt all the air leave his lungs in a burst, those words zinging through his body and setting all his nerves on fire. His cock leapt, smearing wetness across his stomach as he twisted the blankets in his fists and stared wide-eyed at Klaus. His mouth moved but no words were forthcoming. 

“Now who’s trying to kill whom?” he finally managed to say, his voice high and breathless.

Klaus’s smile broadened and he leaned in to kiss him again before sitting back and resuming his earlier ministrations. He poured a little oil into his hand and warmed it between his fingers, taking in the slight spicy scent of clove. 

“The clove may burn at first but it’ll pass and then you’ll feel much more comfortable.” Klaus explained. “It numbs the pain.”

Jesper’s eyes were tracking his slick fingers and he nodded dumbly, hiking up his legs a little further. Klaus’s gaze roamed over him appreciatively as he brought the first digit to Jesper’s entrance, watching his expression carefully as he massaged the oil into the taut muscle, feeling it flutter and grasp at the tip of his finger as he eased it inside. A ragged gasp escaped Jesper as he arched into the sensation, awash in the sudden warmth and tingling that spread all the way up his spine.

Klaus started a gentle thrusting of his hand, inching his finger a little deeper each time and gauging his reaction. Jesper’s head hit the blankets on a moan, the burning sensation from the oil fading slowly until he was just left with the slick sensation of Klaus’s finger ghosting past his sweet spot on every other slide.

“You look radiant,” Klaus said, admiring the golden glow of Jesper’s skin in the firelight, the hollows of his hips just beginning to gleam with sweat. His dick throbbed in the small puddle it had formed on Jesper’s belly, looking painfully stiff.

“Nguh,” Jesper said eloquently, tossing his messy blond head against the blankets and squirming under Klaus’s attention.

Klaus added some more oil as he pushed in a second finger and Jesper found it didn’t burn at all that time. On the contrary, it felt glorious and he let out a throaty moan as Klaus slid them in deep and curled them forward, seeking out that certain spot. It was obvious when he found it—Jesper shouted, his whole body clenching and shuddering as he gently circled the small gland with the tips of his calloused fingers. 

“Oh god, Klaus, right there, right there,” Jesper whined, flailing out a hand, which Klaus caught and held with his own, lacing their fingers together.

He kept pumping his fingers, spreading and curling them in all directions. By the time he added a third, Jesper’s thighs were trembling, his neglected member flexing and dribbling in the cradle of his pelvis. Klaus was considering the merits of releasing his hold on Jesper’s hand to stroke his cock but the next inward thrust of his fingers had the postman screaming as he arched and came, untouched. Klaus watched in awe as Jesper clenched around him, shivering as he spilled over his belly and chest in long spurts. 

Jesper’s free hand wrapped around his length almost as an afterthought, stroking himself through the rest of his orgasm. The pleasure ebbed out of him and left him just as hard as he had been before but without the urgent need to come— he figured Klaus wouldn’t have any trouble at all keeping his word. He whimpered as Klaus gently pulled his fingers free and opened his eyes to watch the other man shoving his underwear down his hips.

It was humbling to see a man who was usually so slow and sure lose his composure, and Jesper had been the cause. He bit his lip as Klaus stepped out of his underwear, his thick cock bobbing up toward his stomach. Jesper didn’t bother pretending not to stare nor did he try to disguise the hunger in his expression as Klaus approached his spread legs, gripping the base of his erection with one hand and lifting Jesper’s knee with the other. 

This was it. It was happening. Jesper’s heart tripped over itself and his belly swooped as Klaus pressed up against him, the head of his dick nudging wetly along the cleft of his ass. His breath caught when Klaus locked eyes with him, his dark brows raised in a silent request. Jesper nodded, smiling, and rocked his hips in an obvious invitation. Klaus groaned, resting his head against Jesper’s calf as he slipped slowly into the welcoming heat of his body. 

The air was forced from Jesper’s lungs with the slow, relentless pressure of Klaus making room for himself inside him. Dazed, he stared up at the woodsman, taking in the expression of almost-pained bliss painted across his handsome features. A helpless sound escaped him when he felt the other man’s furred thighs brush his ass, the hot weight of his balls resting right against him as he bottomed out completely. 

Jesper’s world had narrowed down to the feeling of Klaus surrounding him, claiming him inside and out—the sensation was indescribably good and the postman could only pant and whimper as Klaus slowly started to move within the tight grasp of his body. Klaus stroked a reverent hand down Jesper’s heaving chest and taut belly, pausing to roll a nipple under the pad of his thumb.

“Is it...okay?” he asked, sounding adorably anxious even whilst buried to the hilt inside Jesper.

The smaller man let out a breathless laugh that ended on a moan as Klaus’s hips snapped forward a bit faster than before. “So, so much better than okay,” Jesper assured him, “You can go harder, if you want.”

Klaus took the suggestion to heart, leaning forward to brace himself on both palms, Jesper’s legs closing around his sides automatically as Klaus started thrusting in earnest. Gasping, Jesper wordlessly put his arms up, beckoning him closer. Klaus met him halfway and Jesper wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him down, encouraging him to rest more of his weight against his own body.

Jesper moaned at the sensation of Klaus thoroughly pinning him down. He squirmed just to feel the resistance of an immovable force, as if he was pushing at a brick wall. It made him dizzy with lust, knowing Klaus contained such carefully controlled power—that he could break Jesper in half with one hand, but would never do anything to hurt him. Of that, Jesper was utterly certain.

His fingers dug into Klaus’s back as they rocked together, drawing a low groan out of the other man that rumbled all the way through Jesper. Klaus turned his head until he could catch Jesper’s open mouth in a kiss, muffling all the needy sounds he made with the stroke of his tongue. The postman kissed back desperately, clumsy in his haze of arousal, teeth catching and pulling at Klaus’s lips, sucking on his tongue in a way that made the bigger man pulse inside him. It seemed like Jesper could feel the force of his massive cock all the way into his ribcage, pushing the air from his lungs on staccato cries that echoed all around the empty workshop.

Klaus moaned into him when Jesper’s hands tangled in his hair, pulling hard enough to send shivers down his back. He gathered the blond against his chest with one of Klaus’s hands spanning the entire width of his back, feeling the pounding thunder of his lover’s heart against his palm. The wet tip of Jesper’s cock dug into Klaus’s belly and the smaller man cried out, rocking desperately between the hard heat impaling him and the firm mass of Klaus’s body against his front. 

“It’s a good thing our friends went home,” Klaus mused, “They’d hear you screaming loud enough to wake the dead.”

Jesper tried to retort with something clever but it was lost to another moan as Klaus pounded into him at a new angle, striking that bundle of nerves head-on. At this moment, he didn’t care one whit who heard him vocalize his pleasure—he might as well have been on a different planet for all the reckless abandon with which he whined and cried. The more noise he made, the more Klaus seemed to lose his control, despite the teasing.

“You love it,” Jesper finally replied once he remembered how to form words.

“I do,” Klaus confirmed, and the resolute honesty in his voice made Jesper shudder.

He doubled the speed of his thrusts and Jesper swore, ankles digging into Klaus’s back as he held on for dear life. Tears were forming in his eyes from the brutal pleasure assaulting his body, catching Klaus’s attention when they started slipping free and rolling down Jesper’s temples. Jesper whimpered when Klaus stilled, feeling the other man throb inside him with the effort of not moving.

“Jesper?” he asked, his thumbs rising to swipe the tears away from the corners of his eyes.

His gentle concern made Jesper beam through his tears and he held the large palms against his cheeks. “Please don’t stop,” he begged, clenching around him just to hear Klaus gasp. “I’m crying because it feels  _ good _ .” 

He didn’t have time to analyze the emotion in the other man’s eyes before he was being kissed hard, Klaus’s hips beginning to move again. Jesper melted under him and moaned into his mouth, unsurprised to feel his second orgasm start to take form. 

“Oh fuck, so close,” he whined, burying his face in Klaus’s neck. 

This one was slow, starting in his core and surging outward in powerful waves that made him gasp and shake apart, every limb trembling as he jerked up into Klaus’s belly, grinding his aching cock between them until he finally burst with a ragged cry, adding to the mess already smeared over his front. Distantly, he felt Klaus’s rhythm falter and then speed up, his arms pressing Jesper tighter against him as he chased his own release.

A handful of thrusts into Jesper’s lax, willing body and he stilled and Jesper could swear he felt Klaus harden further inside him before he groaned, dropping his forehead against Jesper’s as he came. The postman could feel his own spent cock twitch almost painfully at the sudden wet heat filling him up— he felt marked up and claimed and wonderfully debauched.

He hadn’t realized he’d been making soft mewling sighs until Klaus smothered them with a kiss, licking into his mouth with slow, languid sweetness. After a long moment, he pulled back with a final peck to Jesper’s nose, leaning up on his elbows to get a better look at his flushed face and blissful, fucked out expression. Klaus’s eyes raked over him, and he smiled softly in a clearly besotted manner. Jesper returned the goofy grin and reached up to stroke the other man’s face.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, sighing happily as Klaus turned and kissed his hand.

“As I love you,” the words were rumbled into his palm, Klaus’s mustache tickling pleasantly.

They basked in each other’s warmth until the drying cum started getting uncomfortable. With reluctance, Klaus carefully pulled out and got them both cleaned up, Jesper being no help whatsoever since he seemed to have lost all capacity to move. He simply laid back and watched the older man tend to him, exhausted beyond all shame. Luckily, Klaus didn’t mind at all, if the soft contented smile on his face was anything to go by.

Afterward, Klaus pulled Jesper against his chest and threw a blanket over them both, kissing the back of his neck and breathing in the fine blond hairs at his nape. Before he drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep, Jesper made a mental note to thank Alva for her—distressingly thoughtful— gift. And to perhaps ask her if she had any more. 


End file.
